


Like Cats and Dogs

by rosesandstuff



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Animal Soulmate, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Soulpet, Angst, Fluff, M/M, tw: slight Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-06-17 15:29:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15464472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosesandstuff/pseuds/rosesandstuff
Summary: (based on @officialwaterfairy’s au on tumblr!!!) Patton’s soulpet is a small black cat he named Cake who hates everything, and seemingly him as well. Virgil’s soulpet is a big blonde dog named Gerard who loves everything including him... which isn’t a problem until he gets insecure about how he can return that love back and if his method of doing so will make his actual soulmate turn away.





	Like Cats and Dogs

Patton’s mom always told him to stay away from black cats. Or any cats, really, considering he was allergic. Not deathly, thankfully, but enough for his parents to make sure he stayed as far away as possible from any feline creatures—especially black ones. Patton wasn’t sure if it was simple superstition or they had some dark history with black cats, but they despised them more than anything Patton had ever known, and they generally loved most animals. 

The whole thing played out ironically, however, when Patton turned ten and was walking down the street with his parents to go to a local roller skating rink to celebrate and out of nowhere a black cat appeared and started licking his face after he fell over in shock. His parents tried to grab the cat off of him but stopped when they realized the white birthmark surrounding its right eye matched the one on Patton’s arm. It was his soulpet.

Soulpets only appeared on your birthday sometime between your child and teenage years. Most people got theirs before they turned twelve but some were late bloomers and were gifted theirs as late as fifteen. Soulpets were supposed to have a similar soulmark somewhere on them that resembled one that you had on yourself, and are the only link you have to your soulmate before you eventually meet them. It takes most people years for that to happen, but soulpets are similar to your soulmate’s spirit animal; it has their same personality, their same vibe, etc. 

Which didn’t make Patton’s parents very happy upon seeing his soulmate best resembled a black cat. These feelings only increased, unfortunately, when they brought the male cat home and it proceeded to knock drinks over from their counters, scratch at them if surprised or agitated, and mewl loudly for no given reason. 

But Patton still loved him with all his heart. He named him Cake for both the reasons that it was reference to his favorite show, Adventure Time, and he was able to make the pun, “It’s Patt-on Cake!” 

Still, despite his best efforts, it took a lot for the cat to warm up to him and even when it did his attempts to give it affection usually ended with him putting a few bandaids around his head. He beamed whenever Cake was around and seemed happy on the outside, but in the inside he was constantly worrying. 

What if his soulmate didn’t like him? They may be fated for each other but that didn’t mean he was obligated to love him. Patton shivered at the thought. If the cat could barely stand him what made him think the human equivalent would? 

-

Virgil was woken up by the unceremonious feeling of his soulpet licking his face. He growled in the back of his throat and plucked the dog off of his lap and back onto the floor. “Down, Gerard,” he told the blonde dog who was currently wagging his large tail in anticipation for Virgil to wake up. 

In all ways Virgil’s dog was the exact polar opposite of himself. While Gerard—who was specifically named after Gerard Way, a member of My Chemical Romance because Virgil was still not over the band—preferred to spend his time going on long walks and running around Virgil’s small apartment, his owner would much rather use his day to listen to music and lay in bed, mourning life and his job at a café that only used nights. Alas, he couldn’t do that and leave Gerard to break a vase or something with all his roughhousing, so Virgil begrudgingly got up, letting his soulpet jump all around him and crash into a few walls as he made his way to his kitchen where his coffee machine was waiting for him. 

As Virgil sipped his coffee he watched Gerard give up looking for attention and retreat to his water bowl and drink from it just as energetically. Virgil frowned. Whoever his soulmate was really loved him. Which he didn’t mind, not in the slightest. 

He was actually really happy as a ten year old when he found Gerard whining in the rain by his house and he found the soulmark on his right arm near his paw that matched the one on Virgil’s left ankle. He finally had confirmation that someone out there was meant for him and he treasured it... but now years later he sincerely dreaded the day he met that person. 

Virgil was very different than most people. He didn’t like giving affection to people he loved, or smiling, or doing anything remotely happy ever. He was content that way, but he could tell whoever this dog he was linked to symbolized wouldn’t like that one bit. They obviously were an eccentric person, no doubt, and loved to play around and give kisses—which the dog equivalent of that was licking Virgil’s face constantly. So would Virgil be good enough for them? 

After all, this was just a dog. A dog didn’t care if you didn’t like them or not, they loved you anyways if they cared about you. But humans were different. What if Virgil found his soulmate but didn’t love them right away? And that pushed them away? Virgil didn’t know what he would do.

His soulpet that they had was probably making them miserable each and everyday, and it was all Virgil’s fault. But how could he help it? It was just who he was, and if they were fated to be together, his partner would have to deal with it. Virgil felt guilt pool in his stomach at the thought as Gerard turned to him and promptly pounced on him and began licking his face once more.

But, despite himself, Virgil smiled and gave Gerard a kiss on his tiny dog head. And his soulpet seemed happy with that. 

-

Patton stumbled around the street, working hard to simultaneously not bump into people and keep Cake from jumping out of his arms or scratching his face. He had refused to put on his leash that morning so Patton had to stick with cradling him like a baby. He could’ve kept him home of course, but like most people Patton preferred to go everywhere and anywhere with Cake just in case he found his soulmate, so that included school. It was a far-fetched idea, he knew, and some of the other students didn’t find it too pleasant but it wasn’t illegal to bring soulpets to school and he wasn’t the only one, and it was better to be safe than sorry. 

Knowing he was running late for class and he hadn’t had anything in his system to keep him awake, so he decided to quickly run by a new café he’d been meaning to try out since he first moved here. He made his way through the swinging doors with a small mewl from Cake and soon found himself in a short line of customers. He used his time to answer a couple emails he had missed earlier and coo Cake to an almost sleep-like state so that by the time he made it to the register he wouldn’t bother him. 

Patton bounded up to the counter when it was his turn to order, beaming at the employee who nearly strained himself to tightly grin back. He was kind of cute actually, Patton helplessly observed. He was a bit on the punk side, sure, but he wasn’t as scary as those usual goths Patton used to see around high school. He looked much softer and smaller despite his dark makeup and clothes, and Patton felt his smile grow a bit the longer he stared at the boy. 

“Hello there!” Patton cheered. “I’ll just have a small black coffee and-“

But Patton didn’t get to finish that sentence, because as the employee was typing away on the register, Cake had woken up and began to climb the counter between them without Patton even realizing until the boy cried out.

“Uh, dude, your cat-?” he squeaked, albeit adorably, as Cake made her way over to him. Patton hissed and made an action to move him out of the poor guy’s face, but stopped when he realized he was staring at Cake as if in a trance. 

“Hello? Are you okay, Mr. Coffee Guy?” Patton asked, slowly putting his hands on Cake’s sides, ready to yank him away at a moment’s notice. 

“Virgil.”

“What?”

“My name,” the employee breathed, then looked up Patton with the most beautiful obsidian eyes, “is Virgil. And I think we’re... soulmates.”

Parton opened his mouth but promptly closed it when Virgil abruptly swung his left leg into the counter and lifted the hem of skinny jeans there to show his soulmark.... which matched the exact same one Patton had on his arm and Cake on her face. Virgil must’ve saw it and...

“Oh,” Patton said dumbly. Virgil pulled back, looking a bit hurt from the disappointed-sounding comment but was relieved when Patton smiled at him again. “Oh!” he cried, more excitedly this time. “Oh my God! We’re soulmates! I’m so lucky! You...” Patton laughed, then giggled, and picked Cake up and nodded in his direction. “So you’re name is Virgil? My name is Patton and... oh! I named this little guy Cake and- and...” Patton blew out a long stream of air as he cut off his rambling. “God, I don’t mean to sound rushed but if you’re anything like him I think I might love you.”

Virgil smiled at that, black lips curling up as he nodded. “I have a dog at home... his name is Gerard. Like Gerard Way? I don’t suppose you’ve heard of him...”

“No, no! I have! My Chemical Romance, right? I don’t listen to a lot of it myself but I’ve heard it’s one swell band!” 

Virgil gave him a blank expression then shook his head with a smile. “Patton, huh? I think I like you already too.”

And when Patton smiled, Virgil suddenly knew he would have nothing to fear.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!✨
> 
> tumblr: @rosesandstuff


End file.
